Anxiety and autism was the topic last month when I presented at the University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute in Westborough MA to 100 or so Therapists, Psychologists and BCBAs. This topic is very near and dear to my heart, as I have worked with many children and youth with autism with anxiety. Imagine not being able to communicate that something was bothering you…that is what many people with autism face.

Technology is becoming more and more accessible with a wide variety of functionalities. For example there are devices that can help you improve your posture, measure your heart rate and galvanic skin response, take pictures from your perspective on a pre-determined interval of time and so much more. Check out my recent article in the Behavior Analyst Quarterly on the use of wearables to help people with posture. The technology that is available to us now can serve all […]

I have been teaching college and university students on the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis, for more than 10 years now. I have also noticed that as time passed, more and more students appeared to be struggling with stress and anxiety. How do I know this? Some of them are telling me, but I have also been approached by more students with requests for accommodations and deferred exams. As […]

Most of us can recall a time that we were so tired or sleep deprived that we could barely function. This, in and of itself reminds us of how critical sleep is to our overall well being. If we know the impact it can have on our ability to concentrate and function we need to keep it in mind when we think about the people we are working with as well. I am a huge proponent of daily communication logs […]

A lost child – a parents nightmare. I have partnered up with Dr. Kendra Thomson at Brock University to evaluate a parent training package on teaching parents how to teach his/her child with autism what to do if they are lost.

According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are now 1 in 68 children diagnosed with autism. Unfortunately for half of the parents who have a child with autism, they are also always concerned for his/her safety because […]

The ability to cross the street or go out in the community is not something that we should ever take for granted. It allows us to experience so many incredible things. I remember one of my first placements as a student in my psychology undergrad. It was in a group home for adults and I was sent there to observe and learn about a behaviour plan for a 27 year old woman. This woman had autism and had been in […]

As a parent of a child with autism, one of the most significant things you can do to help your child with autism is to give them a voice. Just imagine what it might be like to not be able to communicate that you need something. Giving your child the gift of a voice, whether that voice is through sign language, an augmentative communication device or verbal communication, could be the most empowering gift […]

I was honoured to be named Top Safety Contributor for Autism Parenting Magazine in 2014 where I have written numerous articles on keeping your child with autism safe. I think that every parent’s most basic intention with his/her child is to ensure that he/she is kept safe. Sexual abuse is not all that frequent, but the impact that it has can be devastating. Children […]

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